Canning-machine.



G. W. STEELMAN, E. H. SAWYER & M. PELS. GANNING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 20, 1913.

1,100,333, Patented June 16,1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

WITNESSES G. W. STEELMAN, E- H, SAWYER & M. FELS.

OANNING MACHINE. V

v APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 20, 1913.

Patented June 16, 1914.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

, INVENTORS WITNESSES c9. Ja m ATT COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH co., WASHINGTON,D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. STEELMAN AND EZRA H. SAWYEE, OF VINELAND, NEW JERSEY, AND

MAURICE EELS, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS TO NIPIPER MA.-GHINE COMPANY, OF NORMA, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

'CANNINGr-MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, GEORGE WV. STEELMAN andEZRA H. SAwYER, both citizens of the United States, residing atVineland, in the county of Cumberland, State of New Jersey, and MAUnioEFELs, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county ofPhiladelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulCanning-Miachine, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to a new and useful improvement in canningmachines and consists of means for pressing and reaming the material ina can, and means for preventing the adhering of the material to thepressing means.

It further consists of a plunger adapted to be raised and lowered, inorder to press and ream the material in a can, and means for impartingrotary. motion to said plunger, whereby the material is prevented fromad hering to said plunger.

It further consists of other novel features of construction, all as willbe hereinafter fully set forth.

For the purpose of illustrating our invention, we have shown in theaccompanying drawings one form thereof which is at present preferred byus, since the same has been found in practice to give satisfactory andreliable results, although it is to be understood that the variousinstrumentalities of which our invention consists can be variouslyarranged and organized, and that our invention is not limited to theprecise arrangement and organization of these instrumentalities asherein shown and described.

Figure 1 represents an end elevation of a canning machine, embodying ourinvention. Fig. 2 represents a side elevation thereof, with certainparts broken away for the sake of clearness. Fig. 3 represents asectional view on line :r-x Fig. 2, with certain parts omitted. Fig. 4represents a plan view, showing a portion of the mechanism on a reducedscale. Fig. 5 represents a side elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig.4.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in thefigures.

Referring to the drawings :1 designates the frame of a machine, which isof any suitable style or construction, on which is suitably mounted apower shaft 2, to which Specification of Letters Patent. t t J 1 1914Application filed November 20, 1913.

Serial No. 802,102.

motion is imparted in any suitablemanner, as here shown, by a pulley 3,to which power is imparted by a belt 4, from any suitable source. Thepulley 3, as here shown, is mounted on a loose member 5 of a clutch,with which is adapted to engage a fixed member 6 thereof, which is keyedor otherwise suitably connected with the power shaft 2, said fixedmember being in suitable engagement with a lever 7 for operation of thesame.

8 designates a gear mounted on the power shaft 2, which is in mesh witha gear 9 on the countershaft 10, which carries an eccentric 11, aroundwhich is a strap 12, which is pivotally connected in any suitable mannerwith a toggle mechanism, which, as here shown, consists of the leverarms 13 pivotally mounted at one end to the frame 1 of the machine, andeach arm 13 of which is connected at its opposite end with a link 14,each of which is pivotally connected with a collar or hub 17, whichembrace and are adjustably secured to the rods 16, which latter areguided in a suitable portion of the frame 1 of the machine, and whichcollars 17 abut the bosses 15 of the frame 1 which bosses 15 serve asadditional bearing surface for the rods 16. As the toggle levermechanism is actuated by the strap 12, the collars 17 will be raised andlowered carrying with them the rods 16.

18 designates a plunger on the plunger rod 19, which is in suitableconnection with a bar 20, which is secured in any suitable manner to therods 16, whereby it will be understood that the raisin and lowering ofthe rods 16 carries with t 1cm the bar 20 and so the plunger 18.

21 designates a guide, preferably formed as a ring, through the openingof which a plunger is adapted to pass, which guide is provided withsuitable sleeves, which movably embrace the rods 16 and against theupper face of which bear the springs 22, which surround the rods 16 and.the upper ends of which springs bear against the connecting means ofthe bar 20, whereby it will be understood that the said guide isresiliently held in proper position, but relative movement between thesame and the rods 16 is permitted. To prevent the improper downwardmovement of the guide 21, we preferably desire to secure the bosses 23understood, is so positioned in order that on the rods 16, which serveto hold the guide 21 in its proper position, and this position may beadjusted by adjusting the position of the bosses 23 on the said rods 16.

24 designates a track suitably carried by the frame 1 and in suitablelocation with respect to the plunger 18, said track being of anysuitable form in order to receive and guide the cans 25 in their passagethrough the machine and to locate the same in their proper positionbeneath the plunger 18. As here shown, said tracks are formed with theupwardly extending lug or support 26, which is adapted to enter thedepression in the bottom of the can substantially in the median line ofthe plunger so that the bottom of the can at this point will be suitablysupported when the material is being pressed and reamed by the plunger.In order to bring the cans 25 to the track 24, we preferably desire toemploy a conveyer, such as an endless chain or belt 28, which passesaround suitable sprockets 29 and 30, one of which, as 30, being providedwith a suitable bevel gear 31, meshing with a beveled gear 32, carriedon the shaft 33, which is provided at a suitable point with a beveledgear 34, which meshes with a beveled gear 35 mounted on the shaft 36, towhich motion is imparted through a beveled gear 37, meshing with thebeveled gear 38 carried by the countershaft 10, by which means, it willbe understood that the said shaft 36 is rotated and imparts motion tothe gear 30, and so to the conveyer 28, which latter, it will be thecans 25 will be delivered therefrom to the track 24. In order to impartsuitable 'movement to the cans to carry the same intermittently throughthe machine after they leave the conveyer, we provide a belt or chain39, which passes around suitable sprockets 40 and 41, which are suitablysupported, said belt or chain being provided with a plurality ofextending arms 39*, at suitable intervals, so that as the chain ismoved, the arms will strike or engage with a can and carry the same to aposition beneath the plunger 18, the raising and lowering mechanism ofwhich being so timed that when the can is in position beneath theplunger, the same is lowered to bring the same in engagement with thematerial in the can, as is seen in Fig. 3.

Suitable means is employed in order to impart intermittent movement tothe chain or belt 39, and as here shown, we have mounted the sprocket 41upon a shaft 42, upon which is mounted a disk 43, carrying the dog orpawl 44, which is adapted to engage with, at the proper time, a suitableportion of a disk 45, which carries a sprocket wheel 46, which is insuitable engagement with the teeth of a rack 47, carried on the rod 48,which is eccentrically connected with the shaft 36, whereby it will beunderstood that as the shaft 36 is rotated, the bar 48 is moved backwardand forward causing the dog or pawl 44 to engage with the disk 45 in onedirection of movement of the bar 48 and pass the same in the reversemovement of the said bar to impart an intermittent rotary movement ofthe shaft 42, and thus to the chain 39. At a suitable point in itsextent, the shaft 36 is formed angularly and receives a hub 49 carriedby a bar 20, with which the plunger is connected, said hub 49 beingguided by said shaft 36 but permitting free rotation of the said shaft.Supported upon the hub 49 and in engagement with the angular portion ofthe shaft 36 is a sprocket wheel 50, around which passes a chain ordrivingmechanism 51, which also passes around a suitable sprocket 52, orother suitable device, mounted on the plunger rod 19, whereby it will beunderstood that as the shaft 36 rotates, the chain or belt 51 issuitably driven, imparting rotary movement to the plunger shaft 19 andso the plunger 18, and the said driving mechanism is suitably connectedwith the plunger and operating parts therefor, in order that as the saidplunger 18 is raised and lowered, the driving mechanism, for impartingrotary movement thereto, will be raised and lowered at the same time.

It will be understood. that the guide 21 is so formed that the opening55 suitably permits the plunger to contact with the material in the canand that the wall around the opening is positioned to engage with theupper edge of the can and rest thereupon. In order to obtain the properregister of the guide 21 with the can, we have provided the dependingfingers 53, at suitable points around the guide 21, having the inclinedinner faces 54, which engage with the can and insure that it is inproper position with respect to the guide 21, as will be evident.

The operation of the device is as follows: A can 25 filled with materialis placed upon the conveyer 28 and by suitable connection of the clutchmembers 5 and 6, motion is imparted to the shaft 2 and through themedium of the gears 8 and 9 to the countershaft 10. This impartsmovement to the eccentric 11 which is connected to the cocentric strap12, to operate the toggle mechanism formed by the bar 13 and links 14,to raise and lower the rods 16, carrying with them the plunger 18. Atthe same time, motion is imparted to the shaft 36 from the saidcountershaft 10, so that the cans on the conveyer 28 are moved forwardlyupon the track 24 at which time, one of the arms 39 on the chain or belt39 engages therewith and moves the can to a position beneath the plunger18, at which time, the raising and lowering mechanism is so timed, thatthe plunger contacts with the material in the can to suitably press thesame and at the same time, the rotary movement is imparted to theplunger 18, so that the same rotates at a suitable speed and in contactwith the material, preventing the same from sticking or adhering to thesaid plunger 18. When the plunger is elevated again, the can is movedforwardly out of the machine and the next succeeding can is brought to aposition beneath the plunger 18. The guide, 21, it will be understood,can be moved downwardly to a position resting upon the top of the can,and by reason of the springs 22, the said guide 21 will not be presseddownward beyond the proper point, even when the bar 20 and plunger 18move downwardly, a further suitable distance to press the material belowthe top of the can, since the guide 21 being engaged upon the upper edgeof the can will rest there and the springs will be compressed a suitableamount by the bar 20, permitting the guide 21 to rest upon the upperedge of the can, without undue or improper strain.

From the above, it will be understood that we have provided means forlowering the plunger to bring the same into suitable engagement with thematerial in the can, and we have provided means for imparting a rotarymotion to the plunger, while in contact with the material to prevent thematerial from adhering thereto. We have found that this is a veryconsiderable advantage over the machines heretofore in use, where theplunger is simply raised and lowered, since by this old construction, wehave found, in actual practice, that the material would adhere to theplunger, causing a loss of the material and at the same time, in someinstances, impairing the appearance of the material in the can. By ourconstruction, these difiiculties are avoided and an improved product isobtained with a saving in the amount of the same.

It will now be apparent that we have devised a novel and usefulconstruction of a canning machine which embodies the features ofadvantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention andthe above description, and while we have, in the present instance, shownand described a preferred embodiment thereof which has been found inpractice to give satisfactory and reliable results, it is to beunderstood that the same is susceptible of modification in variousparticulars without departing from the spirit or scope of the inventionor sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device of the character stated, means for supporting a can,means for carrying the same through the machine, a plun ger suitablymounted, means for raising and lowering said plunger to bring the sameinto suitable engagement with the material in the can, and means forimparting rotary motion to said plunger while in contact with thematerial.

2. In a device of the character stated, means for supporting a can,means for carrying the same through the machine, a plunger, means forraising and lowering said plunger to bring the same into suitableengagement with the material in the can, and means for imparting rotarymotion to said plunger, whereby when brought into contact with thematerial, the latter is prevented from adhering to said plunger.

3. In a device of the character stated, means for supporting a can,means for carrying the same through the machine, a plunger, means forraising and lowering said plunger to bring the same into suitableengagement with the material in the can, and means for impartingrelative rotary movement between said plunger and said can forpreventing the material from adhering to said plunger.

4. In a device of the character stated, means for supporting a can,means for carrying the same through the machine, a plunger, means forraising and lowering said plunger, a guide for said plunger, and drivingmechanism for rotating said plunger.

5. In a device of the character stated, means for supporting a can,means for carrying the same through the machine, a plunger, means forraising and lowering said plunger, driving mechanism for rotating saidplunger, and connections whereby said driving mechanism is raised andlowered with said plunger.

GEORGE W. STEELMAN. EZRA H. SAWYER. MAURICE FELS. Witnesses:

S. FRED SHORT, JAMES F. ALLEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0."

